It's Witchcraft
by Nerweniel
Summary: The first MinervaFrank Sinatra fic ever! Ends ADMM though. 1946, and Minerva's got a boyfriend. But is he the one she really loves?
1. Chapter One

**It's Witchcraft**

**Chapter One**

The ambience in the small, country railway wagon was tense, and it wasn't because of the skinny, old spinster in the corner, nor because of the middle-aged man, anxiously focusing on his terribly uninterestingly looking newspaper.

It was all because of the young, handsome couple who looked as if they could tear the other apart every second.

"Well where you go I cannot follow!" the young man raised his voice at the younger woman opposite him, taking off his hat in sheer anger.

The woman just stared at him, back perfectly straight, silently raising one eyebrow. It were her hands, nervously playing with the ends of her tartan shawl, which gave her away, though.

"Frank, you cannot be serious!"

He merely shrugged his shoulders, his handsome face angry and annoyed as he stared out of the window.

"Frank!"

Her shrill yell cut through the atmosphere like a knife, but he didn't even look at her anymore. His hat still in his hands, he crossed his legs and impatiently tapped his leather shoe against the wood.

"What have I done wrong, Frank?"

She was obviously in control again, because nothing more than a slight trembling of her voice indicated her obvious distress.

He simply sighed.

"Minerva, you going to teach at Hogwarts is... is..."

"Is a wonderful job opportunity! What do you want me to do, Frank? Being your loyal housewife while you're off in the States, strolling about and..."

"Minerva, I am trying to earn money here, and guess who will enjoy that money along with me?"

The girl, not much more than twenty-one years of age and a beautiful, Scottish type- dark hair, white face, faint blushes on cheeks- rested one hand on her trembling chest as she half stood up.

"Not me, for I'll be at Hogwarts! Teaching!"

"Then after all it won't be you who'll enjoy it!"

"Do I want to?"

They now stood opposite each other like lifelong enemies, her green eyes shooting fire, his blue ones merely sending icy glares into her direction. He didn't reply, though, and she stretched out her arms in an exasperate gesture.

"Frank, you don't even want to get married!"

He just rolled those remarkably light eyes of his as he fell down on his seat again. Grabbing her arm, he pulled her back next to him. She reluctantly obeyed.

"Minnie, honey, really, why would we get married now? I mean, you're still so young, and I have to earn some money, remember? Can't have the distraction of a marriage going on now, I'm sorry. You'll have to wait some time."

"How long?"

He merely shrugged his shoulders, settling his hat on his head in a fashionable way.

"Some years, I s'ppose. And now really, Minnie- Minerva, you can't be serious about the Hogwarts-plan!"

The last sentence had obviously come out with more anxiety than he'd intended it to, for he immediately leant back in his chair again and did a considerable effort to keep the corners of his mouth in a confident expression.

Her Scottish stubbornness proved once more to be one of her more important character traits, for immediately, though her eyes were tear-filled, she stuck out her determined chin and nodded.

"I am, Frank. Why can't I have a job- it'll be very interesting and Albus asked me, since we worked together two years ago, and..."

"Albus, Albus, Albus, ALWAYS ALBUS!"

This was the first exclamation which managed to make the paper-reading gentleman look up from his obviously interesting activities. With an irritated glance at the quarrelling couple, he concentrated again on the yellowish pages, leaving them to an uncomfortable silence.

When Frank spoke up again, his more quietly spoken sentence was not less accusing than his yelled one.

"You want to marry, eh, Minerva? But who, honey..."

He bowed over to her till their noses were nearly touching. In other surroundings, with other expressions on their faces, it would have been an almost romantic gesture. But it so obviously was not. The firm grip of his right hand on her chin forced her to look at him, as he hissed

"Who is it you want to marry, little one? Me, or that dearly beloved Hogwarts of you... and more in particular your darling "Professor Dumbledore"?"

With an angry movement, she removed his hand from her chin, but her eyes were big and sad as she shook her head.

"I don't understand you anymore, Frank. I love... I think I love you, but why do you think I am... I'll not give up Hogwarts, Frank. I am sorry."

These, he knew, were her last words on the topic, and the firm line of his mouth showed that she had found her equal in stubbornness in him.

"Then we are over, Minerva. WE ARE OVER, do you hear that? Go to Hogwarts and screw your beloved Dumbledore for all that I care, as if..."

"You know NOTHING of what there is of love between Albus and me! There's nothing! Absolutely..."

But the train had already pulled into the London station that was their final destination, and with a swift move, Frank had put on his elegant coat.

"It's over, Minerva. I'm off to the States."

He banged the door shut behind his back.

"...nothing." Minerva flatly ended her sentence.


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Within five seconds, the coupe was entirely empty- London was the train's final destination- except for the slender, rather tall young woman by the name of Minerva. She just sat there, back still painfully straight, knees neatly together, a serious expression on her dead pale face. Her black hair fell down her back in a long, thick braid, only accentuating that nothing less than white facial colour. She didn't cry, though- she just appeared to think.

After sheer minutes, a frown still fixed on her face, she smoothed her knee-length tartan skirt and finally left the wagon, her black, practical handbag dangling from her shoulder.

The pumps she wore made a hollow clacking noise against the stone of the now entirely empty platform. Almost unconsciously, she pulled her dark green cloak a little closer around her shoulders. But she didn't look back.

She kept on walking, until the noise of the London streets reached her ears and she almost smiled. Muggle-wise stopping a taxi, she allowed the driver to help her into the car.

Just like Frank would do.

Oh, shut up.

"Gryffin Street, please."

She absent-mindedly almost paid the taxi driver in Knuts before she finally found the few muggle coins she possessed. It gained her one weird look and, as she determinedly stepped towards the old, rather crooked house that was optimistically called "No. 36", a faint shrug of the shoulders before the taxi drove off again.

Minerva hardly noticed. Narrowing her bright green eyes, she looked up at the closed curtains of the first floor.

"I'm so sorry, Matilda..." was her soft sigh before she, carefully, knocked her gloved fist against the massive, oak door.

It was, almost immediately, thrown open by a young girl, about Minerva's age, but with long, auburn hair and the very light, sky blue eyes that were so much like her brother's. She enthusiastically smiled at the sight of her Minerva, but her mouth fell open and she could barely hide her disappointment as she noticed that her friend had come all alone.

Minerva weakly smiled, biting her lips in the process. She totally failed, though, and with a sad expression on her face she lowered her eyes.

"I am so sorry, Sera."

The other young woman quickly smiled, though- but it was a bitter smile and Minerva was way too observant a person to not notice it.

"It's okay, Min. What's his excuse this time? Too busy with the creation of his- how does he call it?- oh yes, his "imago"? In bed with a sudden strike of the flu? Or just not wanting to visit his mother for what could be the last time ever?"

Tears stood in her watery eyes as she opened the door a bit more, so as to let her friend in. Immediately, she bit her lips and forced a faint smile on her face again.

"So, Min, what's it with my dear brother?" she jovially asked, but as soon as her eyes met Minerva's, Sera knew that something was terribly wrong. No-one- not even best-friend-and-soulmate Serena Sinistra could ever call Minerva Caitriona McGonagall "Min" twice in a row and actually live to tell the tale. No-one.

"Minerva, what is wrong?"

The young woman with the black braid grimly smiled, her handbag clenched tightly to her slightly shaking chest.

"He's off to the States, to put it in his very own words. And if I know Frank- which I do- then he's not exactly planning to ever return."

She had said this all flatly, almost indifferently, but Sera knew her too well to be deceived. She narrowed her eyes.

"Off to the States?" was her surprised answer. "Without letting us know? And what about you, Min, please don't tell me you're going as well- I..."

The look in Minerva's eyes gave everything away, and Serena's jaw dropped as she brusquely ended her sentence.

"Min... what happened?"

A faint, irritated shrug of her shoulders and the inevitable sniff were the only real signs of emotion Minerva showed.

"What do you think? He wanted me to stay at home, I wanted to teach at Hogwarts. He ended up accusing me of adultery with Albus in the end. He left after that and yelled something about going to the States. I think that makes things pretty clear, doesn't it?"

The cough that followed was so undoubtedly a smothered sob that Sera threw her arms around her friend's shoulders.

"Min, I'm so sorry for you. I cannot believe this... Adultry, for God's sake, and that while he always was the one who didn't want to get married! The nerve!"

Minerva simply sniffed, then nodded and bit her lips as she stood up straight again.

"I am sorry, Sera," was her matter-of-factly answer.

"I know he is your brother and things- perhaps it's partly my fault, but..."

Here, she was interrupted, though, by nothing less than a more than disbelieving snort of her friend's.

"Your fault? Minerva, don't you ever believe that! In the past three years, you have visited your not even mother-in-law how many times? A hundred? And he, her only son, the only one she still wants to see before... you know...? Not one, not one single time did he visit her, our very own Mr. Superstar!"

Sera's bitter rant was interrupted by a weak, woman's voice, coming from upstairs.

"Serena? Who's there?"

A much softer expression crept over her rather harsh facial features as, casting Minerva a helpless look, she turned towards the staircase and replied

"Minerva, mother. She's come to visit you, I'll take her upstairs in a minute."

Minerva squeezed Serena's arm rather painfully at this remark- dark green eyes sparkling in a most terrified manner.

"Sera, what will I..."

"The truth, Min. She deserves to know the truth." was the flat reply. Serena didn't even lock eyes with her friend anymore. As Minerva didn't react, she did look up, begging eyes filled with tears.

"It can be over any moment now. She'd never forgive me if she died living a lie. You know her."

Indeed Minerva knew Matilda Sinistra, née Kerr, also known as Frank and Sera's mother. And indeed she knew that she had to tell the dying woman the truth- because she'd rather die without hope than simply close her eyes, fed by false hope.

And Minerva nodded and followed her friend, as Serena started to ascend the stairs.


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

Atop of the stairs they found- like they always did- a closed, dark ebony wooden door. A short knock of Sera's was answered by a softly muttered spell and the door flung open- a hoarse woman's voice inviting both girls to enter the room.

"Come in, Serena, Minerva."

Minerva could hardly suppress an audible gasp as she obeyed and entered, all of a sudden looking down the woman who was Sera and Frank's mother. Matilda Sinistra, pale the way her sheets were, eyes barely opened but a faint, bitter smile on her broad, once beautiful face.

"He hasn't come, has he?"

It was barely a question, and Serena's helpless look caused Minerva to lower her eyes- a gesture which Matilda rightfully interpreted as a clear answer.

"I am so sorry, Mama."

Minerva automatically raised her hand to softly pat Sera's back as the her friend crouched down beside her mother's bed, hiding her face in the sheets as she helplessly cried. Matilda simply held her only daughter's hand, though, locking her big, brown eyes with Minerva's instead.

"Where is he, Minerva?"

Minerva helplessly shrugged her shoulders. She had known the now deathly ill woman for many years, she'd seen her inner strength slowly subside to the consuming attacks on her health- the cancer that had crept into her body years earlier had fought and, in the end, conquered, too. But Matilda still was a personality, and somehow, Minerva found it hard to confront her so directly with the truth.

"Minerva, please tell me."

The young woman bit her lips, then honestly looked up.

"He's gone off to the states, Mrs. Sinistra. I don't know when he's coming back.- actually- I think- I think he'll never come back."

She felt tears in her eyes for the first time and slightly sniffed, shaking her head as Sera rested her comforting, cool hand on her shoulder.

"I am okay, Sera- it's just that I am so sorry..."

Crouching down beside the bed of her once almost mother-in-law, she squeezed the dying woman's hand. Matlida simply smiled.

"He never deserved you, Minerva. I told him that a hundred times- told him never to let you go, because for some strange reason you loved him. But he didn't deserve you, and he doesn't deserve your love anymore, my child. He never did."

Minerva did everything she could so as not to have the older woman see her cry, but she couldn't keep two, big tears from running down her cheeks as she thought about the man whom she'd- loved?- for more than three years- and who'd left her.

What he'd done to her didn't compare, though, to what he'd just done to his mother.

Matilda had had cancer for more than three years, and her only son and- painful but true- favourite child had never gone to see her. He'd never forgotten nor forgiven the fact that she didn't like him being a "singer", that she had never approved of his "career". It was just the prejudice of an old woman, of course- Minerva had always known that- and had Frank been able to set his pride aside, things would have been better in no time.

But that he could not- he never had.

And now, finally, in the end, he'd lost his mother's favour, and though Serena had always suffered under the obvious preference of her mother for her brother, it pained her even more to see the ill woman so hurt- so helpless.

Minerva rested her cheek on the pale, thin hand of Serena's mother.

"Don't say that, Matilda. He's still- still your son..."

It was useless, though. The strong character of the woman resulted into stubbornness in the end, and she shook her head.

"I have two children, Minerva- and they are both daughters."

She died mere moments later- leaving, indeed, two crying daughters behind as she passed through the borders of this world.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Minerva smiled as the train finally, after what felt like a journey of years and years and in fact had also been one, rolled down the peaceful railway station of Hogsmeade. As she picked up her large trunk whilst still enjoying the sight of the ever-unchanging village, she knew this was coming home, despite what she'd lost in order to earn it. Frank was gone, and she missed him despite herself. She had loved him, and he had loved her. If she'd been sure of anything; then it was that- she had been the only one for him. She'd known him long enough for that...

They had met years earlier- in the beginning of the War against Grindelwald. She'd been barely eighteen, just out of Hogwarts, and a promising Auror-in-Training already. He'd been older, of course, a Squib, yet wanting to do something for the world he'd grown up in. Or perhaps he'd done it for her.

Albus had coordinated everything, Minerva had been the number one spy in the wizarding world, whilst Frank did the same in the muggle world. A winning team indeed- and Frank and Minerva had shared their first victory and their first kiss on the same night...

And though Minerva couldn't possibly feel happy, she at least felt relieved as she stepped off the train. In a few minutes, she could finally exchange he uncomfortable, muggle two-piece she was wearing for her own, comfy robes- she could finally exchange what poor excuse for a life she had for the career she had, inwardly, perhaps always craved- the career of a teacher.

As she noticed the tall figure approaching her from the other end of the deserted, small countryside station, she even couldn't suppress a faint smile. There was something about Albus Dumbledore's appearance and behaviour which never failed to make her smile, somehow.

Levitating her trunk with a simple movement of his wand, he opened his arms as she stepped closer, and with a kind smile welcomed her.

"Minerva, how nice to see you again!"

The mere sentence sounded so sincere, so kind, so comforting even that she could, for just once, not restrain herself. She fell into his welcoming arms- and found herself crying into his shoulder.

He didn't say anything, and she closed her eyes out of relief- secretly thanking God. His hands were resting on the back of her head, and as her slender body trembled with soft sobs, he simply muttered gentle, soothing words whilst never letting her go.

"Minerva, calm down... you're here now... you're here now and everything is alright..."

The sound of his soothing voice alone was enough to make her smile against his shoulder. He couldn't possibly know what she was crying for, and yet the mere whispers of his voice made it all melt like late winter's snow.

He'd always had that effect on her- but now, somehow, more than ever.

As she grabbed her handkerchief, still leaning against him more than she wanted to, a rather weak, apologetic smile graced her lips.

"I am sorry, Albus. Don't know what just happened to me- I guess it simply was the emotion... you know, returning here after those long, five years."

He didn't believe her, she noticed as his piercing, blue eyes looked at her with a faint twinkle of understanding- and he realized she didn't want him to know.

But did she? And if she did, then why did she?

He was her very best friend, she realized as her bright green eyes locked with his blue ones. Her very best friend, along with Sera, and her most trusted one as well. And yet she did not want him to know about Frank. She didn't know why, because, as her arm linked with his and they went on their way to the castle, she realized Albus really did mean a lot to her.

But this she couldn't share with him- not yet and not now.

Not while she still loved Frank, not while she still blamed herself, more or less, for the break-up, deep down.

Not while Albus was the absolute dear he always was- and not while she couldn't possibly handle that...


End file.
